Snooker: Peter Ebdon kept his hopes alive of winning the World Championship for a second time by taking the opening four frames of the final session against Graeme Dott.
Ebdon looked as if he was facing a lost cause when he resumed this evening trailing 15-7 to the Scot, who only needed three more frames to take the title at the Crucible Theatre.
But he dug deep into his reservoir of mental strength and recaptured the form which had been evident in the fortnight before this match to give Dott plenty to think about during the mid-session interval.
Ebdon looks such a better player and more dangerous opponent when he is playing fluently and he was in that mode from the start of the fourth session.
Knowing he had to make an instant impact if he was to have any hope of clawing his way back into the match, he made the perfect start.
The 2002 world champion showed his mettle with a superb 117 clearance — the first century of the final.
Dott looked favourite to win the next but after compiling 51 he missed a black off its spot and a 32 clearance from Ebdon proved sufficient despite a kick on the green.
Twenty-eight-year-old Dott was suddenly looking less assured and Ebdon chalked up a third successive frame with a superb long red paving the way for a decisive 33 to the yellow.
Dott needed to stop the rot but he broke down on 37 in frame 26 when missing a cut on a red into the black pocket.
Ebdon was oozing confidence and a 66 to the pink completed the pre-interval whitewash and left Dott shaking his head.
Ebdon had started the day with a mountain to climb and history was against him as no player has triumphed after being 11-5 down overnight.
The biggest second-day comebacks have been achieved by Mark Williams and Shaun Murphy who came from 10-6 down to defeat Matthew Stevens on both occasions in the 2000 and 2006 finals respectively.
The afternoon session was cut short by two frames but Dott won four of the six which were possible to apparently strengthen his grip on proceedings - until the Ebdon comeback was launched in emphatic style.